... There is growing interest in evaluating the effects of corn silage harvesting methods on erosion control. Increasing the silage cutting height will increase residue cover and could conceivably minimize off-site migration of sediments compared with conventional silage harvesting. The effects of residue level and manure application timing on runoff and sediment losses from no-till corn were examined ...

... A tank model consisting of three tanks was developed for prediction of runoff and sediment yield. The sediment yield of each tank was computed by multiplying the total sediment yield by the sediment yield coefficients; the yield was obtained by the product of the runoff of each tank and the sediment concentration in the tank. The sediment concentration of the first tank was computed from its stora ...

... Data on soil erosion at the slope scale is essentially limited to experiments on uniform slopes. The objective of this research was to measure the rates and patterns of erosion on complex shaped slope elements under controlled laboratory conditions where surface morphology changes could be carefully quantified. Artificial rainfall was applied for 90 min to a silt loam soil in a 4 by 4 m box. Five ...

... Storm water quality sampling techniques vary considerably in the resources required for sample collection and analysis, and potentially in the resulting constituent flux estimates. However, quantitative information on sampling error is rarely available for use in selecting appropriate sampling techniques and for evaluating the effects of various techniques on measured results. In an effort to quan ...

... Process-based soil erosion models have not been thoroughly evaluated due to the lack of spatially distributed, instantaneous rill erosion data. The objective of this study was to quantitatively evaluate the sediment feedback relationships of the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) model using distributed instantaneous rill erosion data derived with rare earth element (REE) tracers. Four REE ox ...

... In a given watershed, the accuracy of models in predicting the hydrologic and erosion behavior depends, to a large extent, on the quality of the knowledge in respect of the spatial rainfall. The hydrologic and erosion aspects of rainfall are often discussed without due regard to any resulting improvement in watershed modeling. Thus, there is a real need for streamlining raingauge networks in order ...

... Using the Monte Carlo (MC) method, this paper derives arithmetic and geometric means and associated variances of the net capillary drive parameter, G, that appears in the Parlange infiltration model, as a function of soil texture and antecedent soil moisture content. Approximate expressions for the arithmetic and geometric statistics of G are also obtained, which compare favourably with MC generat ...

... The Goodwin Creek Experimental Watershed, a benchmark watershed in the USDA-ARS Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP), drains 2132 ha in the north central part of the state of Mississippi, USA. The watershed is characterized as having high sediment yield (13.2 t/ha/yr) and unstable channel substrate and banks. The effectiveness of management practices applied to the watershed will be eval ...

... Faced with limited comprehensive data on the economic, agronomic, and environment effects of land-applying animal wastes, water quality models are increasingly used to explore management and policy alternatives. However, thorough evaluation of these models is needed to assess their predictive ability for this resource issue. The EPIC (Environmental Policy Integrated Climate) model version 3060 was ...

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This review summarizes how conservation benefits are maximized when in-field and edge-of-field buffers are integrated with each other and with other conservation practices such as residue management and grade control structures. Buffers improve both surface and subsurface water quality. Soils under permanent buffer vegetation generally have higher organic carbon concentrations, higher infiltratio ...

... It is a standard practice to establish grasses on steep slopes (batters) of embankments and cuttings to minimise erosion problems. However, the increase in grass density (high biomass) on the steep slopes poses a greater risk of fire. Controlled burning is a common fuel hazard reduction program employed to minimise the fire risks. The increased risk of erosion on the steep slopes after controlled ...

... The agricultural economy of the southern Great Plains relies on practices that incorporate grazed winter wheat and associated summer management practices. Information exists about the impact of these practices on water quality, but data related to runoff and associated nutrient and sediment movement due to high intensity, late summer storms in the southern Great Plains are limited. This study exam ...

... Structural best management practices (BMPs) that reduce soil erosion and nutrient losses have been recommended and installed on agricultural land for years. A structural BMP is expected to be fully functional only for a limited period after installation, after which degradation of the BMP is likely to lead to a reduction in the water quality improvement provided by the BMP. Assessing the impact of ...

... A study was undertaken with the objective of investigating the performance of the physically based distributed parameter Areal Non point Source Watershed Environment Response Simulation (ANSWERS) model for a 16.13 km2 small watershed in eastern India by using digital elevation model (DEM), GIS and remote sensing techniques for automatic extraction of the model input parameters. The model was calib ...

... There is a general lack of information on the effects of irrigation on soil carbon (C) sequestration in (semi)arid regions. For that purpose we present results of the sediment and C budget of a 30 ha furrow-irrigated corn field in the Central Valley in California. This field was monitored to assess the effects of minimum tillage versus standard tillage on soil C sequestration and greenhouse gas em ...

... Assessments of potential environmental impacts of non-point source (NPS) pollutants at local and regional scales are necessary as a basis for effective management strategies to protect precious resources such as land and water. Intensive watershed scale study is therefore necessary to develop management strategies for abating the agricultural NPS pollution. The major goal of the present study was ...